A Ford Escape that’s just right
Titanium hybrid ticks of all the boxes. McDonald, Wheels,
Few vehicle reveals have been more anticipated than the revival of Ford’s iconic Bronco SUV. Fifty-five years ago the original G.O.A.T. (Go over any terrain) promised to be much more than just a car, and didn’t have to stop when the road ended. It infused a sense of adventure and freedom into a tidy two-door package.
The Bronco ingrained itself in popular culture so much that even after its demise in the mid’90s its name still resonated strongly with enthusiasts and adventure-seekers everywhere. When Ford confirmed a new one was coming, the internet nearly exploded with speculation. After many delays and leaked photosand what seemed like a decade of waiting, the Bronco finally arrived in all its roofless, doorless glory. The Bronco is a true off-roader, with available 37inch tires, a manual transmission, and all the off-road goodies one could want. But what if you enjoy the outdoors but don’t need a vehicle that can negotiate the surface of Mars?
That’s where the new subcompact Bronco Sport comes in. It’s the third piece in the Bronco lineup, but unlike the two- and four-door versions this one is not a body-on-frame truck. Instead it’s based on the same platform under the Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair, neither of which are off-roaders.
Underpinnings aside, Ford maintains the new Bronco Sport follows the “Built Wild” ethos of its bigger brother with features like standard fourwheel drive and the G.O.A.T. terrain management system. Included modes are Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery and Sand. On the top-level Badlands you also get Mud/Ruts and Rock Crawl modes.
All Bronco Sports offer classleading ground clearance, generous approach and departure angles, and water fording capabilities. The round headlamps, boxy profile and short front and rear overhangs are also trademark Bronco and will make this an easy vehicle to identify.
Is overlanding your thing? The Bronco sport has you covered with a roof rack capable of supporting a two-person tent.
Start levelling up and you get a slide-out work table, powerful tailgate floodlights, and a rubberized floor so you can quickly hose off any grime that is sure to collect when out in the wild.
A Base Bronco Sport will start at $32,199. It’s powered by a 1.5-L turbocharged three-cylinder that puts out 181 horsepower and 190 lb.-ft. of torque routed through an eight-speed automatic and standard fourwheel drive. You get the Safari roof, flip up rear glass, 17-inch wheels, SYNC 3, Ford Co-pilot 360, LED lighting and more.
As you move up the ladder, bits of off-road trim and personality get added. Big Bend gets things like a rubberized cargo area and easy-clean upholstery, as well as some convenience items like heated seats and mirrors, a power driver’s seat, and a push-button starter.
Then you have Outer Banks, still able to take on some trails but meant more for the urban jungle, thanks to its roadfriendly all-season tires. It also ditches the rubberized mats for carpet and easy-clean upholstery for leather.
At the top you get Badlands, starting at $40,199. If you’re on the fence and think the full Bronco might be a tad much, this is the one to go for. It comes with a more powerful two-litre turbo four with 250 hp and a more advanced four-wheel drive system with an electronic differential lock, upscale upholstery and trim, 27.5-inch all-terrain tires, additional off-road drive modes, beefier suspension, skid plates, and rubberized flooring throughout.
It also comes with a frontmounted trail cam and trail control, a sort of low-speed offroad cruise control.
Want to take your bikes? No problem: mount them on the tailgate, the roof, or in the cargo area. Camping your thing? A choice of custom tents are available. There are also racks and mounts for just about anything from a kayak to snowboards.
There are a lot of crossovers, some with off-road cred, and others without. The truth is that most, including the bigger Bronco, will never get used the way they were intended to.
Seeing the Bronco Sport in person was nice. It’s roughly the size of the Ford Escape but with a blockier greenhouse and much more character. Frankly, it’s the most personality you’re going to find in this class of Toyota RAV 4s and Honda CR-Vs.
The Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk is close and would be the logical main competitor. Unfortunately not being able to drive the Bronco Sport yet means that’s where this preview ends. I’m a big fan of the Jeep and it will be hard to top, but the Bronco Sport seems promising.
Expect to start seeing the Bronco Sport arriving in dealers by early 2021. If you’re sold on it, you can reserve one on Ford’s website right now.